Interesting observation

[roadrunner]

Every so often I get a sunflower bloom that's been eaten off the sunflower. This just happened again, with a bloom that was probably about no more than a week from opening. I last saw the flower just two days ago, then yesterday I noticed it was missing, bitten off. I think it's the squirrels that do this, but I suppose it could also be rats.

What's interesting is that the flower head was following the sun, as they usually do, before the stalk stiffens up the the point they don't move. The plant is still following the sun and looks as healthy as ever -- I can tell it's still following the sun, but the smallest leaf (the one adjacent to the flower head) changing positions over the day. I'm just curious of how long it will continue to do this.

P.S. This is a single flower head plant.

 

[Meadowlark]

In my case its squirrels.... I've seen them do this.

I "discovered" quite by accident a couple years ago that sunflowers are an excellent trap plant for control of stink bugs. They will attract them away from your tomatoes to the large blooms where you can easily Kill them with a strong insecticide that you wouldn't want on your veggie plants. Very effective for me. In addition, I've learned that sunflowers are a nitrogen fixing plant.

Beautiful flowers, seeds for the birds and yourself, nitrogen addition, and insect trap.... what a great plant for the garden.

 

[Chuck]

I didn't know that about the stink bugs. Thanks

 

[DirtMechanic]

Ditto!